Manchester United 2 Blackburn Rovers 0: Two goals in the space of as many minutes from Cristiano Ronaldo have sent Manchester United back to the top of the Premiership ahead of Arsenal's game against Reading at the Madejski Stadium tomorrow.
United old-boy Mark Hughes, a candidate to replace Sir Alex Ferguson one day, could have been proud of Rovers' battling efforts for all but two minutes of the contest, even after the dismissal of David Dunn.
But it was in those 120 seconds that Ronaldo destroyed them, powering home Ryan Giggs' corner before finishing off Carlos Tevez's magnificent square pass.
Although Ronaldo failed to complete his first United hat-trick, the double strike took him to 10 for the season and provided his team with their ninth win in 10 matches.
With Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz mobile up front, the returning Aaron Mokoena biting into tackles in midfield and David Bentley providing a constant threat out wide, Rovers could easily have been ahead before Ronaldo sent them to the floor.
The nearest they came was when Christopher Samba belted a shot against Edwin van der Sar's left-hand post, with the Dutchman totally beaten.
United were left to complain at referee Chris Foy's failure to spot Dunn's foul on Ronaldo on the edge of the Blackburn box which offered Samba his opportunity.
However, given the way Hughes spent the final 15 minutes of the opening period shaking his head in disbelief at the number of borderline decisions that went against his side, he would not have been impressed at the hosts moans.
And by half-time, Hughes had plenty to occupy his mind too.
With Tevez striking up such a formidable partnership with Rooney, Ronaldo has been left largely in the shadows this term.
Yet he remains an inspiring and electric performer. Confidence is clearly not a problem either, so he was hardly going to be deterred by a couple of erratic efforts which led to free-kick duties being handed over to Owen Hargreaves at one point.
Having won the corner initially with a shot that flicked off Dunn, Ronaldo rose highest to meet Giggs' set piece and this time Bentley, who had already hacked one shot off the line from the Portugal winger, could not keep hit out
Within sixty seconds, Blackburn were two down, unable to withstand the sheer pace of United's brutal counter-attack.
Once Brett Emerton had been unable to do any more than nod Rio Ferdinand's clearance straight up in the air, Rovers were doomed.
Louis Saha, on his first Premier League start since February and a man with much responsibility on his shoulders in Rooney's absence, was onto the loose ball in a flash, prodding it to Tevez who tore into the Blackburn half.
Saha kept motoring but it was Ronaldo to his right who received the perfect pass Tevez delivered with the outside of his right boot. Brad Friedel did his best to deny the wide-man but ultimately he failed.
If Hughes was unhappy before half-time, he was positively fuming seven minutes after the restart when his side were reduced to 10 men by Dunn's dismissal.
The former England international had already picked up one harsh booking for hauling back Tevez, so once Foy had deemed his late tackle on Saha as deliberate, a red card was automatic.
It was a harsh call given the severity of the two offences combined and Hughes could not hide his disgust.
Dunn's exit effectively ended any hope of Blackburn preserving their unbeaten away record, although they remained determined enough to prevent United adding to their tally.
Not that Ferguson will be too bothered by that. The late introductions of Nani and Michael Carrick proved just what depth the Scot has at his disposal at a time when Rooney, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Park Ji-sung and Mikael Silvestre are all missing.
